Maritime Security Anti-Piracy Operations

“70% of the world is covered by water, 80% of all people live near water, 90% of all trade travels by water.” Thus begins a 2012 commercial produced by the United States Navy, demonstrating how central our waterways remain in a modern world. Here at SMI, we recognize that being a truly global security provider means making Maritime Security and Anti-Piracy Operations a central feature of any defense apparatus. That is why we offer an entire suite of boutique maritime security services, each tailored to your precise needs.

All SMI onboard agents are former British military with specialized training in Indian Ocean piracy. The techniques our operators utilize are uniquely designed to minimize the risks exposed to crew, while maximizing the impact with which agents may respond to threats. In addition to onsite enforcement, SMI can provide personalized Target Analyses of both ports and vessels, as well as coordinated Emergency Plans written specifically to address gaps in maritime security and highlight local strengths.

Security Management International’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Division has the capabilities and resources available to rapidly respond to your organizations requirements for comprehensive threat and vulnerability assessments and emergency response planning.

Assessing Vulnerabilities to Terrorist Threats at Maritime Facilities

Today’s Martime Threat

Al-Qaeda terrorist planning materials, containing maps of US cities, diagrams of nuclear power plants, and information on dams, utilities and transportation systems, as well as detailed instructions for making chemical weapons, were found in caves and safe houses in Afghanistan. Additionally, the uncovered Declaration of Jihad Against the Country’s Tyrants (or as it is better known as “The Al-Qaeda Terrorist Manual”) boldly states, “The main mission for which the Military Organization (Al-Qaeda) is responsible is…Blasting and destroying the places of amusement, immorality, and sin.”

Municipal and state governments are currently focused on securing maritime transportation resources and other elements of the national infrastructure against acts of terrorism. Security Management International (SMI) is experienced in delivering such services. Our approach draws on years of experience and the application of an offensive methodology carried out by persons with special operations and intelligence backgrounds. The process, designed as a sabotage tool, quickly identifies where maritime (or other) infrastructure defenses must be shored up and provides a road map for doing so.

Security Management International, LLC (SMI), a security-consulting firm based in the Washington DC area, are experts in providing maritime target analysis and vulnerability assessment (TAVA) services. With a team of individuals who have served at the highest levels of the US infrastructure protection establishment, our people are accustomed to performing effective vulnerability assessments that offer necessary recommendations, as well is preparing emergency response plans that ensure operational sustainability while preserving human safety.

The SMI team has performed maritime vulnerability assessments across the globe, conducted security surveys of critical infrastructure prior to U.S. Presidential visits, and were responsible for the creation of the CARVER threat assessment methodology, as well as the Defense Against Terrorism (DAT) Survey. With over 100 years of combined security experience, our people have enjoyed long careers in international law enforcement, diplomatic service, and military special operations.

Simply stated, SMI is a not a body shop for would-be “security consultants” who have never actually experienced the terrorist threat up close. Rather, we are a small team of counterterrorism experts who have served the United States Government, in over 100 countries, and have been responsible for interdicting/investigating terrorist attacks for the past 30 years.

SMI utilizes a combination of risk management processes to best determine which critical assets are most vulnerable to attack and how best to divert security resources to protect those assets. The following chart demonstrates our approach:

OUR SOLUTIONS to Securing on the High Seas

In order to provide the highest level of service to our clients, Security Management International’s comprehensive approach to security is first to conduct a threat analysis followed by a vulnerability assessment of the maritime asset. Once a thorough assessment of each seaport has been completed, and the material risks and threats have been identified, we then determine the best approach to eliminating, thwarting or offsetting the vulnerabilities, and recommend appropriate security systems, protocols and countermeasures to be implemented.

Our solutions take into account all applicable cultural, financial, operational, and technical limitations. We will then provide executive summaries, detailed analysis and reports, formal recommendations, implementation plans, and cost estimates. We believe that security, to be most effective, must not only prevent potential vulnerabilities, but also discourage and defeat would-be aggressors, whether they are unauthorized insiders or disgruntled employees, known competitors or opponents, unknown outsiders, criminals, malicious vandals, terrorists, political activists or others.

Over the past three decades, members of our planning team have been major contributors and/or principle authors of emergency response plan documents for commercial complexes, maritime facilities, and Critical Infrastructures and Key Resources (CI/KR). As part of our services, the SMI consultants who will review the existing plans are recognized experts in the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code). The ISPS represents the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee and its Maritime Security Working Group on the review of measures and procedures to prevent acts of terrorism, which threaten the security of passengers and crew and the safety of ships. Following ISPS guidelines, SMI’s threat and vulnerability assessments examine the following core competences:

The gathering and assessment of information with respect to security threats

Required maintenance of communication protocols

Prevention of unauthorized access to ships, port facilities, and their restricted areas

Preventing the introduction of unauthorized weapons, incendiary devices, and explosives to ships and port facilities

Provide a means of raising the alarm in reaction to security threats and/or incidents

Required, three stage, ship and port facility security plans based upon security assessments

Required training, drills, and exercises to ensure familiarity with security plans and procedure

At SMI, we take security seriously and pledge that assisting our clients is our number one mission. As such, we stand ready to assist organizations with their maritime critical infrastructure and waterways needs.